The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) says the Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge Railway is secure and not affected by vandalism, countering recent online reports that raised safety fears.
NRC’s Managing Director, Dr. Kayode Opeifa, spoke through a statement shared in Lagos this weekend. He described the videos and reports making the rounds online as misleading. The corporation clarified that the vandalism incidents making headlines actually happened on the old narrow-gauge railway in Oyo State, not the modern standard gauge connecting Lagos and Ibadan.
Opeifa explained that those thefts, where E-clips and short rails were stolen, took place between August 7 and 27, 2024, on the narrow-gauge tracks near Erunmu, Oyo State. He said:
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has refuted an online publication claiming that the Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge Line has been vandalised and is unsafe for usage.”
To address the problem, NRC worked with the village head of Erunmu, local vigilantes, and police right after the incident. They also ran awareness campaigns to stop scrap dealers from buying stolen railway parts. Thanks to these efforts, suspects were arrested and handed over to the authorities. NRC reports that since then, there have been no new cases of vandalism in the area, and train services on the Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge remain unaffected.
The NRC stressed that damaging railway infrastructure is an act of economic sabotage and warned that anyone caught will be prosecuted.
The Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge, built by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), is a crucial transport link officially opened in June 2021. The 157km main line (plus a 7km branch) moves both passengers and cargo between Lagos and Ibadan, with trains running up to 150km/h. Since going into operation, the line has helped millions of Nigerians travel safely and has boosted trade from Lagos ports to the country’s interior. As of March 2024, CCECC reported that the modern railway had safely completed over 1,000 days in service, carrying more than 2 million passengers.
NRC urges the public to ignore misleading online reports about the safety of the Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge and assures riders that measures are in place to keep the route secure.
